Amazon Best Selling Novel “Malabar A Flame” in Lima World Library
24. The masked
All bonhomie ended.
Danny caught the bag and looked at her amazed. What
did I do to make her angry? Eyes ablaze, face red, red walked
up to Danny n snatched the bag and briskly walked to the
car. When she opened the door, she rushed to her and asked
politely what was the whole show about. It is hardly ten
minutes that they reached the place and they had not even
settled to make a return in haste. Why, what for, he asked her.
We haven’t even met our parents. Let us be here for a little
while and then we can go, he pleaded with her.
She was still angry. “Go and check who has checked into
our room to roost?” she demanded. “You always complain
that I do not like to visit your parents.
“No this is the end of it. Your room, rather the room
meant for us, has been commandeered by a stranger as
though he is the archangel to visit the house. There is no
space for me, nom private space for n\both of us. I don’t
want to butt in where thee is no space for me exclusively,”
Diana shouted.
What is the benefit on cleansing the surrounding when
the mind is maligned? How many war of words and quarrels
had with her. What were the mother’s expectations when I
married her? Your life will be like a water- spring. Life will be full of joy. Now what happened? I stand as a goat awaiting
slaughter.
Now he understood. His was a chattel compared to her
parents hoe or the one brought for them by her affluent
parents. There is no comparison between those bungalows
and the ordinary, worn out house where he was born and
brought up and where his parents along with his unmarried
sister live. To appropriate the room acknowledged as Danny’s
and Diana’s must have hurt and infuriated her. But he knew
very well that there was no other room to spare for a shirt
time guest or visitor. Amma and Sara did the right thing and
they had no choice.
He knows how Amma and Appan zeroed on to Dina as
his life partner. Diana’s parents Jose Tharakan and Theresa
from their own native land of Kerala were frequent visitors
to their church on Sundays. Notwithstanding their affluence,
their pleasing manners and liberal attitude bowled them
over. Their daughter Diana was a bubbling young thing that
attracted them the most. Beautiful as she was, she was their
only daughter but never appeared a pampered heiress of a
fortune that her parents had amassed while working abroad.
Mary had her own private dreams of their son becoming
rich and famous. So the parents toiled to send him to on of
the best of schools that they could afford. As luck would
have it, he was good at studies and earned the good books of
his teachers and peers in the school. But Danny becoming a
first class graduate and getting a good job did not end Mary’s
dreams and wild thoughts. She wanted him to take greater
strides in life and earning the hands of a rich girl was one step
forward.But dreams go awry as in the case of Danny and Diana.
Mary offered wine instead of water to the newly arrived
daughter in law as a goodwill gesture. Danny was aghast.
Why should amma do this ? Mary had secretly learnt that her
daughter in law did not drink tea or coffee or any soft drink.
Wine was her single favorite drink. He needed a life partner
who understood their position in the community and was
ready to adapt to their circumstances. At first there was no
problem. In course of time, he started feeling that she could
be a millstone tied to his neck, far beyond his dreams of an
accommodating and kind hearted wife. But he never told his
mother of his apprehensions as he did not want to hurt her
or throw her down the hill of her euphoria.
Now she wants a room of her own reserved for her in
immaculate condition to ke kept ready whenever she chooses
to pay her in laws a visit. She comes from a rich home. The
house her parents bought them as wedding presence was also
in one of the upper ends of London, not very far from their
own. Both were very comfortable in their spacious small
bungalow with 4 bed rooms and other attended amenities.
Then why should Diana bother about a room as her own
preserve in his own home? He wracked his brain with all wild
thoughts but practical wisdom prevented him from any open
fracas.
At times he felt Diana was a dumb idiot, as dumb as any
spoiled brat. He hoped time will be a great leveler. She will
come around to accept the hard realities of life. But he could
not accept her hidden disaffection to his parents and often
irritating inability to tolerate toe foibles of Indians not to
speak of Malayaees in general. Whenever she happened tomeet a Malayali on social occasions, she used to swear away
from the scene to keep herself aloof and mum. A disdain
that he could not tolerate.
When we experience life we will have more knowledge
and discretionary powers. It was with that attitude that the
dreams are fulfilled. After slamming the car door she asked:
“Didn’t you hear what I said? Who is that man in your room?
“I know who is in our room. It is Dr Rajan, the accident
victim. Sara is looking after him as they both work in the
same hospital and I feel they are very close as though he is her
fiancé. Don’t you know all these things. Pl come out and be a
good girl,” Danny pleaded with Diana.
Came out her response in a torrent “I don’t know what is
going on in your household. Is it the way to snare a husband
to your sister and make him stay in her home as a victim?
Is this the way you people find a husband for a girl in your
native land?” Diana burst out.
Danny was dumbfounded. He stood beside her as a
dumb ass for a minute. And without losing his composure,
her asked “Don’t speak like that. Don’t you know they all like
you very much?” She ignored what Danny said.
“You have a glib tongue when talks about your sister. I
know in Indian culture, girls never indulge in any pre-marital
affair, they are purely chaste. Now what I do I see? There is
difference for Kerala girls. They do everything in secret. Here
it’s wide open. Do your parents approve of your sister sitting
on the same bed holding their hands and chit-chatting? When
I do it, you scoff at me as if it is not akin to your culture. You
scoff at me. Now what do you feel about it? “Diana was still in rage. Is it proper for the Kerala culture
to let them live alone in that room. I still remember how you
went wild when an old boy friend of mine came to our home.
That night you warned me against my male friends coming
there. I did not forget your insulting me of my etiquette. You
might have forgotten it. No fault, your own sister is parading
it.”, she said loudly.
Danny was still conciliatory. “So you want a room with
privacy. Come along. Amma’s room is vacant.”
“Sorry, I could not bear the stink in that room. I’m going.
Do you want to come?” She started the car.
“No, I don’t. I know you prefer your kith and kin. I’m
sorry. I’m leaving, bye.”
She drove off.. With a heavy heart Danny walked ahead.
He ended his walk in the nearest park. Sat on a bench. Adults,
kids, dogs and cats frolic there. Some walk around. Trees in
row smile at the sky, care-free, relaxed!
One side of the park boys were playing ball. Danny sat
there engrossed in the thought of his mischievous wife.
What she said was true. His kith and kin were dearer to him
that anyone else. They were nobody when they brought him
up in penury. But I have to pay them bak with love and care.
He will not allow anyone to insult or abuse them.
I had great expectations of you when we got engaged all
of a sudden. A loving caring partner who will stand by me in
my privations, pour soothing balm when my heart burns. I
was thrilled to have you as a mate for ever in the initial days
of my honeymoon. Your visible beauty, exuberance of youthand no-nonsense attitude thrilled me. Often I felt myself
lucky to have you around.
Her penchant for wine, I felt was part of her amorous
past. That will peter away when faced with my total disinterest
in liquor. Not even beer. But when faced with Dian’s habit of
smoking, was a real shock. But I felt everything will come
around and she will adapt herself to realities which some
noble persons says reality always bites.
Now what happened for her running into a rage and
quitting on a seemingly innocuous thing A private space for
her in my home. And her open disdain and hatred of my
amma and her room! What has come of her. No rationale for
such impertinence, Danny thought
The sky turned pink and then turned red with the trees
silhouted against the setting sun. Slowly he stood up and
walked back.
Amma asked about Diana. Asked why she left without
bidding farewell. He had to invent some excuse. “She rushed
back to meet a friend. They had an appointment which she
simply forgot”. He was not sure if Amma believed him. But
she kept quiet
Appan wanted to go to Alihaji’s. He drove his car. It was
very long since he met Ali uncle because he could not find
time as Diana was always at his neck with some errand or
other or some social visits other than his parents.
He eased the car at Alihaji’s. There was a crowd in front of
the house including a posse of police. Danny and his father
stepped out of the car wondering what was happening.
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